Outside?
That was a tough one. Outside was quieter, so we could actually talk. It was more private, fewer eyes, so we might be able to …
On the other hand, I was really enjoying the snuggled-up comfort we were enjoying right here.
Jessy’s smile faded a little. ‘Besides, we … we’ve had a lot to drink, and we could do with some sobering up. Stumbling out of here probably won’t do anything for that reputation of yours.’
My frown furrowed.What was she talking ab–
Oh, shit. The DUI.
Jessy must think –
I glanced down at my gin and tonic. I mean, I liked a drink. Who didn’t like a drink? Yeah, it was my third, and I could already feel the buzz tingling around the base of my skull – occupational hazard of not eating dinner. I’d been so looking forward to seeing Jessy that I’d kind of … forgotten.
I tried to think back to whether I’d had a drink on each of our dates and was pretty certain I had. Not before the abseiling, obviously, but the lunch afterwards had been pretty boozy.
She probably thought I had a problem.
Which should have been easy to sort out – but how the hell was I supposed to reassure her I wasn’t an alcoholic without giving it up that it had been Ben behind the wheel that night?
If I couldn’t tell her the actual truth, then I could at least take her outside for some of that fresh air.
I pushed the gin and tonic away from me. ‘Let’s head out.’
I knew I’d made the right decision when a smile broke out on her face.
Fuck. She’s gorgeous. Like, unbelievably so.
It wasn’t the first time I’d thought it, but it hit me hard, all the same. Maybe the fresh air would be good for me too.
It was so much quieter, once we stepped outside. In fact, there was no one else out here.
‘You don’t mind, do you, Patrick?’ Jessy stepped over to the balcony, breathed in deeply, then looked up at me expectantly over her shoulder.
I dropped down on to one of the benches they had out here and shook my head. ‘Nah, you go for it.’
Jessy looked out across the city, all glittering lights and sirens, and sat beside me. I had kind of hoped she’d be the one to say something, but no. She just … sat there. Next to me. Her hip pressed up against mine, her bare thighs just inches from my hand.
Inches from my hand.
Don’t do it, Patrick. Don’t be that guy. She said kissing you was a mistake.
A mistake that I wanted to repeat again, badly.
Do it. Touch her. The adrenaline shit was an excuse. She wants you. You’ve seen the heat behind her eyes, whenever you pull her in close.
‘You’ve changed. You know?’ Her soft voice drew me out of my rampant thoughts.
I turned to her and froze. Jessy was looking at me like … like she’d never looked at me before.
The gold body glitter shimmered in the low evening light and her eyes sparkled, but there was a directness and intelligence there that was painfully disarming.
As though she was picking me apart.
‘Changed? How?’ Hopefully for the better.
Jessy nodded, pushing her hair back behind her ears. ‘Yeah, different. I mean, when you took me to that fancy restaurant for that first date –’
